DEPARTMENT OF Physiology
| Dept. Head | : | Dr. Gino Abraham |
| Location | : | 2nd and 3rd floor of C-2 block |
About Us
The Department of Physiology started functioning in 1963 under the efficient leadership of Dr. C. M. Francis. The first batch of MBBS students were admitted in 1963. The first MD Physiology student was Dr. George in 1975, followed by Dr. Annamma Mathew, Dr. Saraswathy K, Dr. Remani George in the subsequent years. From its inception, our department has been headed by eminent and dedicated professors who are role models in our profession and whose footsteps we try to follow. The heads of department of Physiology who have fostered, enriched, sacrificed their valuable time and depth of knowledge and who have moulded the department into its present shape, whom we always remember with loving and fond cherished memories are:
- Dr. C.M. Francis
- Dr. Susan Thomas
- Dr. Komalam
- Dr. LalithaBai
- Dr. C.P. Radhamoniamma
- Dr Saraswathy.K
- Dr Remani George
- Dr. Suma Devi V.S
- Dr. Alice George.
- Dr. Annamma Kurien
- Dr. Mary Chacko
Teaching Staff
| Sl. No. | NAME | DESIGNATION |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Dr. Gino Abraham MBBS, MD (Physiology) Completed ACME TCMC Reg.: 27052 | Professor & HOD |
| 2 |  Dr. Chitra Kuriakose MBBS, MD (Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 29755 | Associate Professor |
| 3 |  Dr. Saritha J. Shenoy MBBS, MD(Physiology) Completed ACME TCMC Reg.: 28125 | Associate Professor |
| 4 |  Dr. Meena Cherian MBBS, MD(Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 23653 | Associate Professor |
| 5 |  Dr. Vidhya T. MBBS, MD(Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 39893 | Assistant Professor |
| 6 |  Dr. Sophiamma Joseph MBBS, MD(Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 18879 | Assistant Professor |
| 7 |  Dr. Priya Theresa Job MBBS, MD(Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 38801 | Assistant Professor |
| 8 |  Dr. Shamna K. Rahim MBBS, MD(Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 44122 | Assistant Professor |
| 9 |  Dr.Karthik Raj Prabhakar MBBS, MD(Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 50702 | Assistant Professor |
| 10 |  Dr. Lisha S. MBBS TCMC Reg.: 38155 | Lecturer Trainee |
| 11 |  Dr. Roshni Paul Joseph MBBS TCMC Reg.: 46951 | Lecturer Trainee |
| 12 |  Dr. Devi Prasannakumar MBBS, MD (Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 61569 | Senior Resident |
| 13 |  Dr. Silpa T. G. MBBS, MD (Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 71538 | Junior Resident |
| 14 |  Dr. Nikhitha T. Varghese MBBS TCMC Reg.: 71688 | Junior Resident |
| 15 |  Dr. Anusree Bhaskaran MBBS TCMC Reg.: 73868 | Junior Resident |
| 16 |  Dr. Arun M. R. MBBS, MD (Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 84395 | Junior Resident |
| 17 |  . Dr. Haara S Jayan MBBS, MD (Physiology) TCMC Reg.: 79755 | Junior Resident |
Non-Teaching Staff
| Sl. No. | NAME | DESIGNATION |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smt. Linumol P.S. | Confidential Assistant |
| 2 | Usha S. | Senior lab technician |
| 3 | Sri. Vipin Das K. | Lab Technician |
| 4 | Sri. Akhin Kumar | J.L.A |
| 5 | Smt. Sudha S. | J.L.A |
| 6 | Smt. Sreedevi K. K. | F.T.S |
| 7 | Smt. Kumari N.C. | F.T.S |
| 8 | Smt.Salimkutty A | P.T.S |
Facilities
The department contains a Clinical Physiology Laboratory, Haematology Laboratory, Amphibian Laboratory, Mammalian Laboratory, Research Laboratory, and two demonstration rooms. There is also a Lecture Hall with a capacity for over two hundred students, a Department Library, as well as multiple staff rooms distributed across the 2nd and 3rd floors of C-2 block.
The department is furnished with advanced equipment including a Student Physiograph, 16-channel Polygraph, multi-channel Vitalograph, Computerised Spirometer, Mosso’s Ergograph, Jamar Electronic Hand Grip Dynamometer, Priestly Smith and Lister’s Perimeters, Benedict Roth’s BMR Apparatus, Multi-channel ECG Machine, Microscopes with integrated light sources, Mammalian Heart Perfusion Assembly, Water Still, Electric Kymographs, Bicycle Ergograph, as well as Overhead Projectors, Computers, and LCD Projectors.
Courses Run by Department
| Name of Course | Annual Intake |
|---|---|
| P.G. Courses (M.D. Physiology) | 2 |
| Undergraduate Courses M.B.B.S. | 175 |
| Degree courses: | |
| B.D.S. | 40 |
| BSc. Nursing | 80 |
| B.P.T. | 30 |
| BSc. MIT | 10 |
| BSc Perfusion Technology | 4 |
| BSc. Dialysis Technology | 11 |
| BCVT | 4 |
| Diploma courses: | |
| DMLT | 15 |
| DRRT | 12 |
| DCSST | 4 |
| DORA | 10 |
| DET | 4 |
| DOTAT | 10 |
Activities
The department delivers both theoretical and practical instruction for the specified courses. Student knowledge is regularly assessed through examinations, including theory, practical, and viva voce components. Additionally, discussions, seminars, as well as vertical and horizontal integration sessions are routinely organised to enhance the learning experience.
M.D. Physiology students participate in both theory and practical teaching, with P.G. students conducting thesis research on topics such as heart rate variability and nerve conduction studies. MD students receive postings in clinical and non-clinical departments. Faculty organize symposiums, seminars, journal clubs, and discussion classes for P.G. students, and supervise their thesis work.
A tutorial system is available for MBBS students, providing an effective platform for both students and faculty to identify and address academic as well as personal challenges.
Achievements
- 3rd Rank: PG Degree Examinations in Physiology (MD), May 2022.
- Second place was awarded for a poster presented by post graduate student titled “Alteration of Pulmonary Function Parameters of Moderate Post-COVID Patients After One Year Follow-Up Attending a Tertiary Care Centre” at the National Conference of the Association of Physiologists of Tamil Nadu, SanaVitaCon, 2025.
- Second place was awarded for a poster presented by post graduate student on “Analysis of Gender-based Changes in Brainstem Evoked Potential in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients” at ACPKCON 2025.
Publications from the Department in the last 5 years
- 2024
- Smartphone screen time and sleep quality in MBBS students.
- A study of lipid profile in pregnant and non-pregnant women.
- Nerve conduction studies in Diabetic neuropathy, a comparative analysis of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.
- 2023
- Determinants of variation of blood glucose levels in normal pregnancy.
- Changes in blood glucose levels in normal pregnancy.
- 2022
- Cardiovascular autonomic responses in reproductive and postmenopausal women.
- The proportion of obstructive sleep apnoea in coronary artery disease patients using Berlin questionnaire and STOP-BANG questionnaire.
- 2021
- Prevalence of stress among first year medical students and its effect on heart rate variability.
- Effect of stress on heart rate variability during examination among MBBS students.
CMEs/ Conferences
- Serotonin modulators-1999
- Ion channels in health and diseases-2005
- Algesia-2006
- Vasotone-2007
- Enterokinesis-2008
- Stress-2009
- Nephron-2010
- Waves of life-2011
- Diabetes mellitus, an update-2012
- Physioconfluentia-2023. The third Annual conference of Association of Clinical Physiologists of Kerala, ACPK-CON 2023 was held on July 6th, 2023, in our department.
Ongoing Research
- Alteration of pulmonary function parameters of moderate post-COVID patients after one year follow-up attending a tertiary care centre.
- Comparison of nerve conduction study parameters between mild moderate and severe carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Brainstem auditory evoked potential in type 2 Diabetes mellitus.
- Proportion of hypothyroidism in women with primary infertility.
- Obstructive sleep apnea risk and c-reactive protein levels in stable coronary artery disease patients.
- Variation in electrocardiographic p wave duration and dispersion among adult males based on body mass index: a cross-sectional study.
- Effect of metabolic syndrome among male partners in infertile couple.
EVENTS
The Dr. Gopakumar Memorial All Kerala Gold Medal Examination in Physiology was organised for M.B.B.S. students from all medical colleges. Dr. Gopakumar, a dedicated and distinguished educator, served as Assistant Professor in our department.
The annual Quiz Competition for postgraduate students in Physiology was held in memory of the late Dr. Akhila Bai. Dr. Bai was an MBBS graduate of our college and a dedicated M.D. Physiology postgraduate student.